Keeping with the theme of manipulation and powerlessness, the song is about the drafting system, war, and death, explaining the title "Disposable Heroes". The line "back to the front" is said multiple times in the song. The song is the third longest song in the entire album, after "Orion" and "Master of Puppets". It is also interesting to note that the middle section ("Why am I dying?" etc., before and after the guitar solo) is the last place for a long time where Lars Ulrich plays the ride cymbal. Not fond of this particular piece of percussion, Ulrich didn't return to it until "Until It Sleeps".
Live[]
"Disposable Heroes" has been performed live 160 times as of January, 2025.
"Disposable Heroes" was the first song off of Master of Puppets to be debuted live. It was first played on September 14, 1985, in St. Goarshausen, Germany, at the Metal Hammer Festival.
It was last performed live on November 14th, 2020, in San Rafael, California, at the Helping Hands Concert.
In an ironic dose of fashion, Cliff Burton only played the song live three times, while both Jason Newsted and Robert Trujillo has played it over fifty times each.
Trivia[]
Lyrics[]
Bodies fill the fields I see, hungry heroes end
No one to play soldier now, no one to pretend
Running blind through killing fields, bred to kill them all
Victim of what said should be, a servant till I fall
Soldier boy, made of clay
Now an empty shell
Twenty-one, only son
But he served us well
Bred to kill, not to care
Do just as we say
Finished here
Greetings, death
He's yours to take away
Back to the front
You will do what I say, when I say
Back to the front
You will die when I say, you must die
Back to the front
You coward
You servant
You blind man
Barking of machine gun fire does nothing to me now
Sounding of the clock that ticks, get used to it somehow
More a man more stripes you wear, glory-seeker trends
Bodies fill the fields I see, the slaughter never ends
Soldier boy, made of clay
Now an empty shell
Twenty-one, only son
But he served us well
Bred to kill, not to care
Do just as we say
Finished here
Greetings, death
He's yours to take away
Back to the front
You will do what I say, when I say
Back to the front
You will die when I say, you must die
Back to the front
You coward
You servant
You blind man
Why, am I dying?
Kill, have no fear
Lie, live off lying
Hell, hell is here
Why, am I dying?
Kill, have no fear
Lie, live off lying
Hell, hell is here
I was born for dying
Life put out before my birth, nothing could I say
Had no chance to see myself, molded day by day
Looking back I realize, nothing have I done
Left to die with only friend, alone I clench my gun
Soldier boy, made of clay
Now an empty shell
Twenty-one, only son
But he served us well
Bred to kill, not to care
Do just as we say
Finished here
Greetings, death
He's yours to take away
Back to the front
You will do what I say, when I say
Back to the front
You will die when I say, you must die
Back to the front
You coward
You servant
You blind man
Back to the front
Back to the front
Back to the front
Back to the front
Back to the front
.jpg){kind=link}
